The Dinex Group - Daniel Boulud’s Post

There is a substantial amount of money to save by bringing a packed lunch to work! PROPEL HOSPITALITY LIMITED 🥗 🍲 🥘 🥙 "Workers turn to packed lunches as inflation bites: Workers brought 86 million packed lunches into the office last year, as Britons shunned high street treats amid the cost of living crisis. The Times reports figures from Kantar, the market research firm, show 57 million more lunchboxes were brought to work on weekdays last year compared with 2022, according to analysis of 16 to 64-year-olds, excluding retirees. “There’s evidence to suggest that people are opting for more homemade meals to keep budgets in line,” Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said. “Eighty-six million more lunchboxes were brought to work last year, for example.” However, 434 million fewer meals were brought to work when comparing 2023 with 2019, which likely ­reflects hybrid working patterns. The research-backed findings from a survey taken last year found almost one in three workers (32%) planned to make more homemade lunches in 2023, placing it in the top five New Year’s resolutions; which also ­included eating better (48%), getting fitter (46%) and saving money (44%). According to the survey of 1,000 UK ­employees by Instantprint, the online printing specialists, the average person was spending £21 a week on their work lunches, equating to £1,092 a year. One in four (24%) office workers was found to have bought a meal deal or lunch from a shop or café at least once a week, with 18% of Britons doing this multiple times per week. Over the past few decades there has been a significant rise in the number of consumers choosing to eat out at lunchtime due to a growing range of ready-made sandwich and coffee shops. The cost of living crisis, however, has forced many to bring meals from home as they suffer an unprecedented squeeze on their household finances and rising grocery prices."

It’s a time of holidays, thanks giving, and merriment. If you need more of that in your workplace, check out our latest blog about bringing employees together. #BreakRoomTips #Morale #EmployeeRetention #Atlanta

Ever noticed how a simple box of donuts can transform the office vibe? 🍩✨ Imagine starting your day not just with your usual coffee but with a sweet treat that literally brings everyone together. It's not just about the sugar rush—it's about breaking down barriers and building connections. Donuts in the office aren't just a tasty perk; they're a secret ingredient for staff retention! They encourage everyone to pause, connect, and share a moment, making the workplace not just a place to work, but a space to belong. We LOVE our "Bagel Tuesdays" and "Donut Fridays" at WSB! So, how do small gestures like this make a big difference in your office culture? Share your sweetest stories! #TeamBuilding #OfficeCulture #RetentionStrategies #DonutWorryBeHappy #ConnectOverCoffee"

Christmas office parties with small companies are a bit different. This was triggered from a recent post by Keith McCabe (MCIPS). I used to love being an employee in larger organisations around this time of year. The banter was great, the relaxed feeling (sometimes!) crept in nearer to the big day, Secret Santa's and the big office party. Wasn't everyone's thing, but it was certainly mine 😀 Of course, it could also be a HR nightmare as there were quite a few disciplinary actions in the New Year along with a couple of firings 😬 It's a bit different now, but still good, as we have a low key affair in January when the Lean Team at Lean Procurement Ltd. gets together. Over the years office parties have changed; overall alcohol consumption has reduced, there is more awareness of legal implications and internal codes of conduct, and some or moving away from the traditional office party altogether with things more akin to team building events. So, from this - what are your experiences of office parties (bad and good!), do you also think things have changed?

Bloomberg has a fresh peanut butter machine in the pantry. When I think about work from home vs. in office requirements, I often time think of perks and the pantry is one of them. I was spoiled at Bloomberg right out of college. Drinks, healthy snacks, and the famous fresh peanut butter machine! Who doesn't like peanut butter on demand. When I went to WorldQuant it wasn't the same. We had a pantry in the Connecticut office in the early days, but this didn't compare to the Bloomberg pantry at all. The Bloomberg NYC office had multiple pantries on different floors! My last stop before Social Leverage was at Third Point LLC. Arguably the best pantry and meal perks of all. It started out with snacks and drinks with Seamless stipends for lunches. But once we moved to the Hudson Yards, that was the game changer. The Hudson Yards office had a full kitchen with a chef cooking breakfast and lunch. Great meals that were healthy and unique. Great selection of drinks, especially sparkling waters, coffee including Cometeer, and healthy snacks. Everyone debates these days whether in office vs. remote vs. hybrid flexibility is the best solution for companies to be successful. There are pros and cons for everything. One pro, that can't be denied, is in office food & pantries. What are some of the best food or pantries you have come across at employers?

How do you entice workers back to the office? You make it easy for them. By providing high-quality, convenient dining options right in the office, employers can address a key pain point for remote workers waffling on whether they'll return or not: the need for convenient, healthy meals during the workday without a lot of meal prep or searching through a million takeout options. Food perks not only make the office more inviting, they also promote the idea of eating together which fosters a sense of community and appreciation, encouraging employees to return in a more positive and engaged manner.

We have had a fantastic response to our post below! If you want to ensure your employees can quickly and simply access warm food, at any time of the day or night, please get in touch with us to discuss how we can help. Bridie Holowkiewicz

This office Christmas party is a chance for employees to let their hair down while you reflect on what you’ve collectively achieved over the course of the year. However, if you're somewhat of a Grinch, the thought of music, dancing and small talk with your co-workers may strike terror into your heart. With this in mind, I've shared my survival guide to the office Christmas party with PM Today. Provided you take note of the “do’s and don’ts”, it can be a lot of fun, so click the link below to read my tips and tricks. 👇 https://lnkd.in/et6dj9eU #hr #humanresources #humanresourcesconsulting #business #team #people #humanresourcesmanagement #christmas

Research reveals that eating together fosters greater trust among colleagues. It also cultivates an environment ripe for open dialogue and mutual support. Casual, shared moments over food weave the fabric of strong, trusting relationships within the office. It's a great way to build bonds as your team returns to the office. #Bonding #Trust #SharedMeals #EmployeeEngagement https://lnkd.in/gus6C9Jb

I recently read a story in MarketWatch about how a good cup of coffee can help fix the office... I don't necessarily disagree (and I'm a tea drinker). However, it made me think about this exact challenge from back in my corporate days, long before the Pandemic. The issue of whether or not the company should provide higher quality beverages, particularly coffee, would be raised frequently, both at a local site level and to the Global Real Estate team. The assertion was that instead of providing free, generic coffee at the beverage stations... which apparently was "horrible", we should upgrade to Petes' or Starbucks (or better), as a low-cost way to boost employee engagement and act as a recruitment perk. Makes sense. Except that it didn't. At least not for a large company, with multiple offices and many thousands of employees. The cost would be prohibitive! It boiled down (pardon the pun) to a simple math problem. The incremental price of each cup, multiplied by the number of cups consumed. But with a twist... better coffee created an increased demand, thereby increasing the costs further. In a 60000 employee company, if 20000 employees had 2 cups of coffee each day (not unreasonable), at $2 a pop, that's $20M/year. Better coffee was almost double the price. Add a multiple for increased demand, and... you can see where I'm going with this... the business will spend some serious cash on coffee! Now, I'm not saying that better coffee doesn't have tangible benefits to the business, but the ROI should be looked at along with other investment choices like R&D, marketing, health care benefits, etc. We largely solved the problem, by doing two things. Installing Keurigs at the beverage stations (people could use their own pods if they didn't like what we provided for free), and selling better coffee in our cafeterias. The best of both worlds. A solution that satisfied employees, without breaking the bank! https://lnkd.in/g-Fj5qQN